Thousands in Houston line up for food benefits after Harvey

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston-area residents lined up by the thousands to beat an application deadline for state disaster food relief benefits.

The applicants are still recovering from the financial hardship left by flooding from Harvey nearly six weeks ago. More than 260,000 Harris County residents already have applied for benefits from the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP.

The program is part of the federal nutrition program, formerly known as food stamps, that lets individuals buy food at grocery stores and other locations.

Residents like Fayne Manuel say the assistance will help them feed their families as they continue making up for lost wages and paying for unexpected expenses due to Harvey.